Exterior paint is the skin that keeps water out of siding and trim. When it fails, wood rots, caulk opens, and the repairs get expensive. A good exterior job is mostly preparation and weather: washing, scraping, sanding, priming bare spots, caulking, and painting in the right temperature window so the coating cures properly.
This guide covers the signs a house is due, what you can note from the ground, the lead-safety rules that apply to homes built before 1978, what a painting crew actually does, and what the job typically costs.
What you notice
- Paint is peeling, blistering, cracking or flaking, especially on sun-facing and weather-facing sides.
- A chalky powder comes off on your hand when you rub the siding.
- Caulk at windows, doors and trim joints has cracked or pulled away.
- Color has faded unevenly, or there are mildew spots in shaded areas.
- Bare wood is visible, or trim is soft at corners and bottoms.
- You are selling the home or it has been many years since it was painted.
Likely causes
Age and sun exposure
Ultraviolet light breaks down the binder in paint, which is why south and west sides fade and chalk first. Exterior paint has a working life measured in years, shorter on wood and in harsh climates.
Moisture behind the paint
Water gets in through failed caulk, open joints, clogged gutters that overflow onto siding, or from inside a bathroom wall without a vapor barrier. The paint blisters and peels from behind. Painting over it without fixing the source fails fast.
Poor prep on the last job
Paint applied over chalk, mildew, dirt or glossy old paint loses adhesion. It peels in sheets with the old coating still attached underneath.
Painting in the wrong conditions
Paint applied in direct hot sun, below the minimum temperature, or before dew or rain does not cure correctly. Lap marks, blistering and early failure follow.
Rotted or damaged substrate
Soft trim, split siding and rusted nails show through any paint. Carpentry repairs come before paint, and a good estimate separates them.
Lead paint on older homes
Exterior paint on homes built before 1978 often contains lead. Scraping and sanding it spreads dust into soil and the home. Federal rules require certified contractors and lead-safe methods, including ground containment and no power sanding without containment.
Safe things to check before anyone comes out
- Walk around the house at ground level and note which sides are peeling, fading or mildewed, and whether the worst areas are near gutters, downspouts or ground contact.
- Rub a finger on the siding in a few places. Chalk on your finger means the paint is at the end of its life.
- Look at caulk lines at windows, doors and corners from the ground for cracks or gaps.
- Note the siding material: wood, fiber cement, stucco, brick, vinyl or aluminum. Each takes different prep and products.
- Note the year the home was built and whether it has been painted since 1978.
- Note the number of stories, steep grades, decks or landscaping that affect ladder and lift access. Do not climb to look; photos from the ground are enough.
When to stop and call
- Peeling paint on a pre-1978 home with bare soil below where children play, or paint chips in the yard. Keep children away and contact a certified lead-safe contractor before any scraping.
- Siding or trim is soft, crumbling or shows a hole where water is getting in. Water intrusion ahead of a wet season gets worse quickly.
- Paint failure is concentrated around a window or door where water is also showing up inside.
- Mildew or algae covers large areas of a shaded wall and a musty smell is present inside that wall.
- A previous crew left loose paint, lead dust or debris on the ground.
What the technician does
- Inspects the exterior with you, checks for rot, failed caulk and moisture problems, and writes a scope listing prep, repairs, primer, coats, products and the surfaces included.
- Washes the house to remove chalk, dirt and mildew, and lets it dry fully before any paint.
- Scrapes and sands loose paint, feathers edges, and on pre-1978 homes uses lead-safe containment and cleanup.
- Makes or coordinates carpentry repairs, sets nails, fills, and primes bare wood and repairs.
- Caulks joints and gaps, masks windows and protects plants and hardscape, then applies the finish in the right weather window, usually two coats.
- Paints trim, doors and accents, removes masking, cleans up, and walks the job with you with touch-ups before the final payment.
What it usually costs
Painting the exterior of a typical single-story home commonly runs into the low to mid thousands of dollars, and larger, taller or heavily detailed homes run higher. Extensive scraping, carpentry repairs, lead-safe work and premium products raise it. Trim-only and single-side jobs are much less. The estimate should be explained before any work starts and should separate prep, repairs, paint and any lead-safe requirements.
What moves the estimate
- Size and number of stories, and how much trim, shutters and detail there is.
- Condition: light wash and spot prime versus heavy scraping and repairs.
- Siding material and the primer and paint it needs.
- Access: steep lots, decks, landscaping and the need for lifts or scaffolding.
- Lead-safe requirements on pre-1978 homes and the season or weather window.
Keeping it from coming back
- Keep gutters clean and downspouts directed away from the house so water does not run down siding.
- Wash the exterior gently every year or two to remove mildew and chalk.
- Recaulk joints as they open rather than waiting for the next paint job.
- Keep sprinklers from hitting the house and keep shrubs trimmed back from siding.
- Touch up small failures early. Bare wood left through a winter becomes a repair.
Questions people ask
When is the best time of year?
Dry, mild weather. Most products specify a minimum temperature for application and curing, and painting in direct hot sun or just before rain or heavy dew causes problems. The painter should plan around the forecast, not just the calendar.
How long does exterior paint last?
It varies with the substrate, the climate, the exposure and the prep. Wood in harsh sun needs attention sooner than fiber cement or stucco in a mild climate. Good prep and quality paint add years.
Do I have to scrape all the old paint off?
No. Only loose and failing paint is removed; sound paint is cleaned, scuffed and painted over. If most of the surface is failing, full removal may be the better long-term choice, and lead rules apply in older homes.
What does lead-safe work look like?
A certified firm, plastic on the ground to catch chips and dust, wet scraping or shrouded tools instead of dry sanding, no open-flame removal, and careful cleanup and disposal. Ask for the certification before the job starts.
Sources
- Sherwin-Williams: How to paint a house exterior www.sherwin-williams.com
- Sherwin-Williams: How to fix exterior paint peeling caused by moisture www.sherwin-williams.com
- U.S. EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program www.epa.gov
- U.S. EPA: Reduce the risk of lead exposure at home www.epa.gov